# C. Thomas Howell

Christopher Thomas Howell (born December 7, 1966), also known professionally as C. Thomas Howell, is an American actor, musician and director. He has starred in the films The Outsiders (1983), Red Dawn (1984), Secret Admirer (1985), Soul Man (1986), A Tiger's Tale (1987), and Young Toscanini (1988). He has also appeared in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Tank (1984), The Return of the Musketeers (1989) and Old Dads (2023).

## Early life

Howell was born in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles to Christopher N. and Candice Howell. He has three siblings.
His father worked as a stunt coordinator and rodeo performer. He played the role of the Red Knight in Terry Gilliam’s The Fisher King. As a young boy, Howell wanted to be a stuntman and was a child stunt performer. He was also a rodeo star.
When Howell was young, his parents divorced. Howell graduated from Saugus High School in 1984.

## Career

Howell made his show business debut in The Brian Keith Show. When he was older, he acted in commercials.

### 1980s

In 1982, Howell made his film debut as Tyler in Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
At the age of 15 in 1981, Howell was cast in Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders (1983). Howell played the lead role of Ponyboy Curtis, "the soulful tagalong greaser through whose eyes we see the events of the 1960s-set film unfold." Based on S.E. Hinton's bestselling 1967 novel of the same name, the coming-of-age film went on to become a cult classic. Howell's portrayal of Ponyboy was his breakthrough role, and it earned him a Young Artist Award.
In 1984, Howell and his Outsiders co-star Patrick Swayze reunited for Grandview, U.S.A. and Red Dawn. Howell also had a pivotal role in Tank (1984). In 1985, he starred in Secret Admirer. After filming The Outsiders, Howell co-starred in his own television series Two Marriages, which ended after four episodes, but letters of support got it back on air. He later expressed disappointment in the series.
Howell was one of two final actors in the running for the lead role of Marty McFly in Back to the Future (1985); the other was Eric Stoltz. Ultimately, Michael J. Fox was cast as Marty after Stoltz was deemed wrong for the part. In 1986, Howell was a hitchhiker's target in the film The Hitcher. He also starred in the sequel, which was released in 2003. In 1986, Howell starred in Soul Man, a film in which Howell appears in Blackface. Rounding out the 1980s, Howell played the young Arturo Toscanini in Franco Zeffirelli's 1988 film Giovane Toscanini.

### 1990s

In 1992, Howell starred in That Night alongside actress Juliette Lewis. A film based on the novel of the same name by Alice McDermott. In 1993, Howell starred with Linda Fiorentino and Nancy Allen in the campy thriller Acting on Impulse. He then achieved success in the film Gettysburg, which was popular with history buffs and history classrooms. Next, he starred as Mike, a motorcycle courier in the poorly received Mad Dogs and Englishmen (U.S. title: Shameless) with Elizabeth Hurley.
Following this, Howell starred in Payback and then played gangster Baby Face Nelson in the film of the same name. He directed and starred in the 1996 direct-to-video release Pure Danger, which also featured Teri Ann Linn and comic Carrot Top.

### 2000s

In 2000, Howell played a doctor stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash in the television show Amazon. In 2004, he played serial killer Kenneth Bianchi in The Hillside Strangler.
In 2005, he starred in H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds, one of three 2005 adaptations of the novel The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. Howell directed and starred in a straight-to-DVD sequel War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave in 2008. Also in 2005, he reunited with his Secret Admirer co-star Lori Loughlin when he had a recurring role on her television show Summerland as Zac Efron's father. Howell appeared as a doctor in The Poseidon Adventure, an adaptation of the 1972 film of the same name. His father's first (uncredited) stunt co-ordination was for the original film.
In 2006, Howell starred in Hoboken Hollow. He also became a supporter of the production company The Asylum, which produced his straight-to-DVD films. In 2008, Howell directed and starred in The Day the Earth Stopped, a mockbuster intended to capitalize on The Day the Earth Stood Still.
Beginning in 2009, Howell guest starred in Criminal Minds on CBS as serial killer George Foyet (The Boston Reaper), a recurring villain based on The Boston Strangler. Also beginning in 2009, he played the role of Officer Bill 'Dewey' Dudek, a police officer recovering from alcoholism, in the L.A. police drama Southland.

### 2010s and 2020s

In 2011, Howell guest starred as an inmate on The Glades and in Torchwood: Miracle Day.
Howell appeared in the 2012 film The Amazing Spider-Man.
Starting in 2015, Howell has had a recurring role as Dr. Daniel Stinger in the Freeform show Stitchers. In 2017, he had a recurring role as Ash Spenser, a retired Navy SEAL, in the CBS show SEAL Team.
In 2016 and 2018, Howell had a recurring guest-star role as Paul Belmont, a United States Navy Lieutenant Commander at Camp Pendleton, in Seasons 1 and 3 of Animal Kingdom.
Currently starring in Obliterated on Netflix as “Harry”.

## Personal life

In the 1980s, Howell dated actress Kyle Richards. In 1989, he married actress Rae Dawn Chong, whom he met while co-starring with her in the 1986 film Soul Man. They divorced the following year. Howell married his second wife, Sylvie Anderson, in 1992, and the couple had three children. Anderson filed for divorce in 2016.
In November 2001, Howell was acquitted of five misdemeanor charges, including hit and run and brandishing a weapon arising out of a confrontation with a skateboarder in Southern California.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1982 | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | Tyler | Credited as Tom Howell |
| 1983 | The Outsiders | Ponyboy Curtis | |
| 1984 | Tank | Billy | |
| 1984 | Grandview, U.S.A. | Tim Pearson | |
| 1984 | Red Dawn | Robert Morris | |
| 1985 | Secret Admirer | Michael Ryan | |
| 1986 | The Hitcher | Jim Halsey | |
| 1986 | Soul Man | Mark Watson | |
| 1987 | A Tiger's Tale | Bubber Drumm | |
| 1988 | Young Toscanini | Arturo Toscanini | |
| 1989 | The Return of the Musketeers | Raoul | |
| 1990 | Far Out Man | Himself | |
| 1990 | Side Out | Monroe Clark | |
| 1990 | Kid | Kid | |
| 1992 | Nickel & Dime | Jack Stone | |
| 1992 | Breaking the Rules | Gene Michaels | |
| 1992 | That Night | Rick | |
| 1992 | To Protect and Serve | Egan | |
| 1993 | Jailbait | Sergeant Lee Teffler | Direct-to-video |
| 1993 | Gettysburg | Thomas Chamberlain | |
| 1993 | Treacherous | Micky Stewart | |
| 1994 | Teresa's Tattoo | Carl | |
| 1995 | Payback | Oscar Bonsetter | |
| 1995 | Dangerous Indiscretion | Jim | |
| 1995 | Mad Dogs and Englishmen | Mike | |
| 1995 | Hourglass | Michael Jardine | Direct-to-video |
| 1996 | The Sweeper | Mark Goddard | Direct-to-video |
| 1996 | Baby Face Nelson | Baby Face Nelson | Direct-to-video |
| 1996 | Pure Danger | Johnie Dean | Also director Direct-to-video |
| 1997 | The Big Fall | Blaise Rybeck | Also director Direct-to-video |
| 1997 | Laws of Deception | Evan Marino | |
| 1997 | Last Lives | Aaron | |
| 1997 | Sleeping Dogs | Sanchez Boon | |
| 1997 | Dilemma | Thomas "Quin" Quinlan | |
| 1997 | Matter of Trust | Michael D'Angelo | Also known as The Surgeon |
| 1998 | Shepherd | Boris Dakota | |
| 1998 | Charades | Evan | Also known as Felons |
| 1998 | Fatal Affair | Malcolm "Mack" Maddox | |
| 1999 | The Glass Jar | Lanois | |
| 1999 | Avalanche | Jack | |
| 1999 | Hitman's Run | Tom Holly | |
| 1999 | The Prince and the Surfer | Dean | Direct-to-video |
| 1999 | Enemy Action | John Reed | |
| 2000 | The Million Dollar Kid | Valentino | |
| 2000 | Hot Boyz | Officer Roberts | Direct-to-video |
| 2000 | The Crimson Code | J.B. Gaines | Also known as Red Team |
| 2001 | WillFull | Nat Wolff | |
| 2001 | XCU: Extreme Close Up | Geoffrey Liddy | |
| 2001 | Separate Ways | Tom Milton | |
| 2001 | Asylum Days | Nathan Devine | |
| 2001 | Askari | Joss McKinley | |
| 2003 | Net Games | Adam Vance | |
| 2003 | Gods and Generals | Thomas Chamberlain | |
| 2003 | The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting | Jim Halsey | Direct-to-video |
| 2004 | Hidalgo | Preston Webb | |
| 2004 | Nursie | Zack | |
| 2004 | The Hillside Strangler | Kenneth Bianchi | |
| 2004 | A Killer Within | Addison Terrill | |
| 2005 | Ordinary Miracles | James T Powell | |
| 2005 | The Lost Angel | Kuratha | |
| 2005 | Glass Trap | Curtis | Direct-to-video |
| 2005 | The Keeper: The Legend of Omar Khayyam | Coach Fielding | |
| 2005 | H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds | George Herbert | Direct-to-video |
| 2006 | Hoboken Hollow | Clayton Connelly | |
| 2006 | The Da Vinci Treasure | Michael Archer | Direct-to-video |
| 2006 | The Far Side of Jericho | Little Jimmy Thorton | |
| 2007 | The Haunting of Marsten Manor | Captain Williams | |
| 2007 | Fighting Words | David Settles | |
| 2007 | The Stolen Moments of September | Sisner | |
| 2007 | Dead Letters | KC | Also known as Cold Ones |
| 2008 | House of Fallen | Thomas | |
| 2008 | Big Game | Cody "Sully" Sullivan | |
| 2008 | War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave | George Herbert | Also director Direct-to-video |
| 2008 | Toxic | Joe | Direct-to-video |
| 2008 | The Thirst: Blood War | Jed | |
| 2008 | The Day the Earth Stopped | Josh Myron | Also director Direct-to-video |
| 2008 | Mutant Vampire Zombies from the Hood! | David | |
| 2008 | The Grind | Luke | |
| 2009 | The Jailhouse | Seth Delray | |
| 2009 | The Land That Time Forgot | Frost Michaels | Also director Direct-to-video |
| 2009 | American Pie Presents: The Book of Love | Alumnus Guy #2 | Direct-to-video |
| 2009 | Secret at Arrow Lake | Daniel | |
| 2009 | Fuel | Shane | |
| 2009 | Camouflage | Stanley | |
| 2010 | Street Poet | David | |
| 2010 | The Terror Experiment | Chief Grasso | |
| 2010 | Flatline | Teacher | |
| 2010 | Cupid's Arrow | Professor Grimes | |
| 2011 | Restitution | John Youngstown | |
| 2011 | Camel Spiders | Sheriff Ken Beaumont | |
| 2012 | Wedding Day | Russ | |
| 2012 | Commander and Chief | Shrub | |
| 2012 | The Amazing Spider-Man | Troy | |
| 2012 | Chilly Christmas | Patrick Cole | Direct-to-video |
| 2012 | MoniKa | Double | |
| 2012 | Escape | Paul Jordan | |
| 2013 | Don't Pass Me By | Jack | |
| 2013 | The Devil's Dozen | Tom | |
| 2013 | Lost on Purpose | Delbert Fergeson | |
| 2013 | Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox | Eobard Thawne / Professor Zoom (voice) | Direct-to-video |
| 2013 | Storm Rider | Mitch | |
| 2014 | Confessions of a Womanizer | Tony | |
| 2014 | Bigfoot Wars | Zeke | |
| 2014 | A Magic Christmas | Jack Carter | |
| 2014 | Borrowed Moments | Jack | |
| 2015 | Spirit Riders | Keith | |
| 2015 | Rivers 9 | Sheriff Quentin | |
| 2015 | Justice League: Gods and Monsters | Will Magnus (voice) | Direct-to-video |
| 2015 | Woodlawn | Coach George "Shorty" White | |
| 2015 | A Christmas Eve Miracle | Jack Carter | |
| 2015 | Magic Hour | Tom Worthy | |
| 2015 | Lazarus Rising | Silent Cal | |
| 2016 | Blood Lust | Ryan | |
| 2016 | Attack of the Killer Donuts | Officer Rogers | |
| 2016 | LBJ | Walter Jenkins | |
| 2016 | Sick People | Dr. Sam Zimmerman | |
| 2017 | The Shadow People | Kaine | |
| 2017 | Disconnected | Robert Crawford | |
| 2017 | A Question of Faith | John Danielson | |
| 2018 | Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay | Eobard Thawne / Professor Zoom (voice) | Direct-to-video |
| 2018 | Dirty Dealing 3D | Carter | |
| 2018 | The Rack Pack | Ted | |
| 2018 | Shifting Gears | Jenkins | |
| 2018 | My B.F.F. | Ben Wilkens | |
| 2019 | Dauntless: The Battle of Midway | Cpt. Browning | |
| 2019 | Rich Boy, Rich Girl | Blake | |
| 2020 | Beast Mode | Breen Nash | |
| 2023 | Old Dads | Ed Cameron | |
| 2023 | Crimson Point | Frank | |
| 2024 | Ride | John Hawkins | |
| 2024 | Reagan | Caspar Weinberger | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1983 | Two Marriages | Scott Morgan | Episode: "Relativity" |
| 1985/1986 | Moonlighting | Waiter, Postal Worker | 2 episodes |
| 1989 | Nightmare Classics | Jenner Brading | Episode: "The Eyes of the Panther" |
| 1990 | Curiosity Kills | Cat Thomas | Television film |
| 1992 | Tattle Tale | Bernard Sprat | Television film |
| 1993 | Acting on Impulse | Paul Stevens | Television film |
| 1994 | Natural Selection | Ben Braden / Alex Connelly | Television film |
| 1995 | Suspect Device | Dan Jerico | Television film |
| 1996 | Kindred: The Embraced | Frank Kohanek | 8 episodes |
| 1997 | Dead Fire | Tucker | Television film |
| 1998 | Sealed with a Kiss | Detective Mick Cullen | Television film |
| 1998 | The Outer Limits | Captain Miles Davidlow | Episode: "The Joining" |
| 1998 | V.I.P. | Phil Sherman | Episode: "Val Got Game" |
| 1998 | The Love Boat: The Next Wave | John | Episode: "Affairs to Remember" |
| 1999 | Dead Man's Gun | Henry Hubble | Episode: "The Phrenologist" |
| 1999–2000 | Amazon | Dr. Alex Kennedy | 22 episodes |
| 2000 | Twice in a Lifetime | Tony | Episode: "The Escaped Artist" |
| 2000 | Lawless: Dead Evidence | Dean Riley | Television film |
| 2002 | Son of the Beach | Jason Dudikoff | Episode: "In the Line of Booty" |
| 2002 | Night of the Wolf | Sheriff Wade Messer | Television film |
| 2002 | Killer Bees! | Sheriff Lyndon Harris | Television film |
| 2004 | The District | Chris Gunner | Episode: "On Guard" |
| 2004 | Zolar | Hedion | Television film |
| 2004–2005 | Summerland | Kyle Bale | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | Crimson Force | Captain Baskin | Television film |
| 2005 | Ordinary Miracles | Jim Powell | Television film |
| 2005 | The Poseidon Adventure | Doctor Matthew Ballard | Television film |
| 2005 | ER | Vincent Janeson | Episode: "The Human Shield" |
| 2006 | 24 | Barry Landes | 2 episodes |
| 2008 | Celebracadabra | Himself | Contestant |
| 2008 | Xenophobia | Stone | Television film |
| 2008 | A Gunfighter's Pledge | Horn | Television film |
| 2009, 2013, 2020 | Criminal Minds | George Foyet / The Boston Reaper | 6 episodes |
| 2009–2013 | Southland | Bill "Dewey" Dudek | 27 episodes |
| 2010 | Psych | Agent Camden Driggs | Episode: "One, Maybe Two, Ways Out" |
| 2011 | The Glades | Peyton Robinson | Episode: "Second Skin" |
| 2011 | Torchwood: Miracle Day | The Gentleman | Episode: "Escape to L.A." |
| 2011 | CHAOS | Carson Simms | Episode: "Proof of Life" |
| 2011 | Camel Spiders | Sheriff Beaumont | Television film |
| 2012 | Alphas | Eli Aquino | Episode: "The Quick and the Dead" |
| 2012 | Revolution | Bounty Hunter | Episode: "Chained Heat" |
| 2012 | Castle | John Campbell | Episode: "Swan Song" |
| 2012 | Longmire | Ray Stewart | Episode: "A Damn Shame" |
| 2012 | Hawaii Five-0 | Martin Cordova | Episode: "Death Wish" |
| 2012 | Home Invasion | Ray | Television film |
| 2013 | Horror Haiku | John Asher | Episode: "I Know What You Know" |
| 2013 | Sons of Anarchy | Agent Frank Eagan | Episode: "One One Six" |
| 2013 | Blue Bloods | Alex Polanski | Episode: "Justice Served" |
| 2013 | An Amish Murder | Nathan Detrick | Television film |
| 2013 | Christmas Belle | Rex Everhart | Television film |
| 2014 | Grimm | Agent Weston Steward | 5 episodes |
| 2014 | Category 5 | Charlie DuPuis | Television film |
| 2014–2015 | Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce | Nate | 4 episodes |
| 2015–2017 | Stitchers | Daniel Stinger | 7 episodes |
| 2015 | Motive | Joe Hillis | Episode: "Reversal of Fortune" |
| 2015 | Ties That Bind | Mr. Witherspoon | Episode: "Controlled Substance" |
| 2015 | Sleepy Hollow | Agent Mick Granger | Episode: "I, Witness" |
| 2016, 2018 | Animal Kingdom | Paul Belmont | 9 episodes |
| 2016 | Advance & Retreat | Nathan Shapiro | Television film |
| 2017 | Ray Donovan | Dr. Brogan | 4 episodes |
| 2017 | Outcast | Simon Barnes | 3 episodes |
| 2017, 2019, 2021 | SEAL Team | Ash Spenser | 5 episodes |
| 2017 | The Punisher | Carson Wolf | 3 episodes |
| 2018 | The Blacklist | Earl Fagen | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | MacGyver | Vasil | Episode: "Guts + Fuel + Hope" |
| 2018 | Dynasty | Max Van Kirk | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | The Good Cop | Chuck Everett | Episode: "Why Kill A Busboy?" |
| 2018, 2021 | The Walking Dead | Roy | 6 episodes |
| 2019 | Bosch | Louis Degner | 2 episodes |
| 2019 | The Terror | Major Bowen | 4 episodes |
| 2021 | Creepshow | Samuel Spinster | Episode: "Dead and Breakfast/Pesticide " |
| 2023 | Will Trent | Warden Sturgill Hardly | Episode: "It's The Work I Signed Up For" |
| 2023 | Obliterated | Haggerty | 8 episodes |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Role |
| 2017 | Injustice 2 | Leonard Snart / Captain Cold |
| 2018 | Lego DC Super-Villains | Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash |

## Discography
### Singles

| Year | Title | Album |
| 2022 | "Rose Hill" | Non-album single |
| 2022 | "Whiskey Demon" | Non-album single |
| 2022 | "Ponygirl" | Non-album single |

### Albums

| Year | Title |
| 2023 | American Storyteller |